BA AFRICAN NETWORKS

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) follows in the footsteps of the Ancient Library of Alexandria as a meeting point for cultures and civilizations. It aims to rise to the digital challenge in order to develop African innovation through the use of science and technology in networks that extend throughout Africa.

The new goal set by the BA is to connect those with common interests and expertise to hasten the development of knowledge and enable immediate sharing of knowledge and contributions.

Explore Our Networks

Director's Message

Serageldin with Former President Mandela

The social and psychological aspects of virtual socializing, as opposed to the real world experience, are the subject of much discussion and debate. In addition, the vast expansion of connectivity especially with the huge spread of sensor networks which have the capacity of extending the human nervous system beyond anything that we have experienced before, will take us into new realms. This means that virtual experiences can be much expanded in the years ahead.
Accompanied by a rapid expansion in Artificial intelligence (AI) these developments sketch a world of much more than self-driving cars. It is a world where the internet of things, where machines communicate directly with other machines without human intermediaries are right around the corner. It is a word where Africa must find its rightful place, and where the unbridled imagination of our youth becomes our greatest resource.

Science can help feed the hungry, heal the sick, protect the environment, provide dignity in work and create space for the joy of self-expression. Yet . . . lack of opportunity to master science and the new technologies will accentuate the divide between rich and poor.
- Ismail Serageldin

The values of Science are societal values worth defending, not just to promote the pursuit of science, but to have a better and more humane society. These are the central core of universal values that any truly modern society must possess.
- Ismail Serageldin

Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.
- Kofi Annan

If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are conditions for development.
- Kofi Annan

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) continually organizes new projects, as well as more than 1000 cultural and scientific events, every year, such as annual book fairs, art exhibitions, conferences, seminars, concerts, and theatrical performances.